Welcome back! I hope you and your family enjoyed spring break as much as ours did. Students have come back to a few new improvements to our facility. Using funds from our $90,000 facilities grant award we won earlier this year, we have installed a new floor and new lighting in the rear gym area, we have built new classrooms for Arabic language instruction, and we have installed new window blinds in the library. Also, with your participation in the PIE sponsored February Sky Car Wash campaign, we have installed a new welcoming sign outside the lobby entry windows. And, we are in the final phase of upgrading ALL workstations in the computer lab with new Dell large screen computers and a few Mac mini's in the library. These investments enhance student learning and school spirit and we THANK YOU for your generous support!
As you read through the rest of this newsletter, please take note of the ways our students are fulfilling on Amana's civic and environmental responsibility mission. Middle school students will be volunteering at the Chattahoochee Nature Center Earth Day Kids' Fest this weekend (be sure to bring your family!) while second graders are helping the needy and first graders are supporting a local animal rescue. We are so proud of our students and their commitment to both academic and character excellence. Please support them!
April 19 - PIE Sponsored Barnes & Noble Night from 6:30-8PM
April 21 - Earth Day Celebrations
April 22 - Amana Band/Orchestra Performance @ Community Circle
April 25 - State CRCT Testing Begins
April 30 - Amana Governing Board Meeting @ 9:00AM
Check out all upcoming events on our website calendar.
Introducing Your New PIE Executive Board
We thank you all for submitting such great nominations for 2011-2012 PIE Executive Board. Amana is fortunate to have passionate and talented parents that are always ready to come forward and make a positive difference. With that being said we are excited to announce the PIE Board of 2011-2012:
Angelika Otte - President
Shantel Crooks - Vice President
Allison Hall - Treasurer
Lemiya Alexander - Secretary
Congratulations to all of the nominees. We are looking forward to another fabulous year in 2011-2012! Special thanks to the PIE Nomination Committee members: Jean Jaques Credi, Shaheen Bharde, Carrie Doulfikar, Leena Farooqui, Kristina Holmes, Akela Smalls and Jessica Spraggins.
With the PIE Board elections behind us, we are now entering the home stretch! The period from Spring Break through the end of the year is always fast paced...a time for celebrating with our students, honoring our teachers, getting summer plans in place and preparing for the next school year.
Speaking of the next school year, have you considered if you would like to take on a more active role on the PIE? There are many volunteer opportunities available if you are able share your time and talents with our school. Your input and assistance will only make Amana an even greater place to be!!! A PIE end-of-year survey will go out soon. Please fill out the survey or send us an email and let us know your talents, interests, and preferences. In the meantime, be thinking about how you want to make a difference and thank you for your continued support!
Registration packets were sent home with your child if you stated on the recommitment form that a new sibling would be attending Amana next year. Please return these packets to the front office by April 18th in order to ensure a seat for the sibling that will be new to Amana or the seat will be offered to an applicant on the waitlist. Thank you for entrusting your child's education to Amana.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Sherryl Hale.
Updates on Your Phone, Facebook, or Twitter?
Facebook, Twitter, and SMS messaging among others have become powerful tools for timely communication and transparency. Using these tools poses new challenges, yet our fledgling team of experts (Jean-Paul Elbekian, Michelle Engel, Sadaf Qureshi) has developed a plan to start piloting the use of these tools this month.
Here's how you can become a part of this communication revolution:
1. Sign-up for phone text message test program - Click here to download easy instructions from parent Ms. Sadaf Qureshi to get started.
2. Become part of our Editorial Team - We are looking for people with strong ethics, good writing skills, and who use facebook or twitter regularly. You will be monitoring and moderating community message posts on our upcoming facebook and twitter pages. Please contact Mr. Ehab Jaleel.
3. Join our core Social/Media Crew - If you have expertise in these emerging technologies, we invite you to join our team to help us strategically ramp up the use of these tools to improve parent communication and to broaden awareness of the great things happening at Amana with the outside community. Again, contact Mr. Ehab Jaleel if interested.
EVENTS/OPPORTUNITIES
Be sure to visit the Amana Academy website on a regular basis for the latest information.
Sky Car Wash - Back By Popular Demand!
Get a $45 carwash for $20 and Amana gets 50%!
Wash the pollen and rain water off your car while doing good for Amana. Sky Express Car Wash located just down the street from Amana at 11865 Alpharetta Hwy is offering Amana families and friends a $45 carwash for just $20! Even better - 50% of the proceeds go to our school!
Don't forget to spread the word to friends and neighbors!
Chattahoochee Nature Center Earth Day Kids' Fest on 4/16
Amana Academy's NJHS is teaming up with the Chattahoochee Nature Center for the 9th Annual Earth Day Kids Fest from 10AM-3PM this Saturday, April 16th! This event is a unique and exciting hands-on, environmental education experience where youth are encouraged to take the first steps in becoming environmental stewards. Through engaging activities and performances, kids are energized with empowering information, allowing them to lead the way in preserving and protecting our biological diversity and natural resources. Visit the Eco-Village where you will learn about local organizations that are doing great things to protect the planet, and be sure to stop by the Amana science booth and face painting station for fun and exciting hands-on activities especially for kids! Be a Planeteer! Bring your old cell phones, ink cartridges, natural corks, and old shoes to be recycled at the event! We look forward to seeing you all this Saturday!
Not too late to sign up for Global Youth Service Day on 4/16
Be a part of the largest service event in the world on Global Youth Service Day! Changing the world starts right here at home. GYSD projects will take place across the metro Atlanta area. Sign up today at www.HandsonAtlanta.org
Amana Girl Scouts to hold Pet Pageant Show on 4/17
Girl Scout Junior Troop 29245 and Troop 11485 Bronze Award Pet pageant and Talent Show.
Amana students Gabrielle Gatewood, Lauren Reed, Cameron Samuel and Maykayla Farmer ask you the Amana community to support their Bronze Award project which culminates weeks of hard work and planning. The Pet Pageant will be at Sweet Apple Village on Etris Road in Roswell. The event will be on Sunday April 17, 2011 from 3-5pm. The Girl Scouts are supporting animal shelters and need support.
Please bring any of the following items in lieu of a monetary donation:
Towels
Cat/dog shampoo
Toys
Any items for pets
The email address for the pet event is gspetpageant.shutterfly.com. Click here for an event flyer and call 404-519-3045.
Presenting Dinner and a Bedtime Story - Tuesday, April 19!
Amana Students Prepare for the Annual FLES Spoken Language Competition
LEARNING SNAPSHOTS
Be sure to visit the classroom website and check your child's communication folder on a regular basis for the latest information on your child is learning...
Second Grade Cereal Drive is Underway
Our second grade classes are hosting a cereal drive to benefit North Fulton Community Charities. Many needy local families rely on the donations they get from North Fulton Charities. Please donate to this worthy cause by sending in your cereal donations TODAY! There will be prizes for the class that collects the most! Thank you for your support of this noble cause.
First Graders Are Raising Awarness for Local Animal Rescue
On Wednesday, the first grade students hosted an expert visitor from Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue named Amy (pictured on the right). She presented a engaguing PowerPoint presentation and spoke about the animal rescue shelter, animal needs, and how to care for a pet. Then the students had the chance to meet a very special rescue dog, hear the dog's story, and ask questions. Afterwards the first grade students were involved in a community service project to create animal needs bookmarks and which they will then sell to other students to raise awareness and money for the pet rescue.
Thank you!
Of course, if you ever have any questions or concerns, please contact your child's teacher directly, or any one of our administrative team members or Governing Board members. We're all interested in hearing from you at any time you need or want to speak with us. Amana's main number is (678) 624-0989 and you may also find email contact information for all of our faculty and staff by visiting the Amana Staff Directory.
On behalf of the Governing Board, the Amana faculty and staff, and the school administration, thank you for entrusting your child's education to us. With your continued support, we'll continue to mold the very best and brightest global leaders within our community. What an amazing journey! Thank you for making it possible and worthwhile.
Get a $45 carwash for $20 and Amana gets 50%! 
Amana Academy's NJHS is teaming up with the Chattahoochee Nature Center for the 9th Annual 
Our second grade classes are hosting a cereal drive to benefit 
On Wednesday, the first grade students hosted an expert visitor from 
hear the dog's story, and ask questions. Afterwards the first grade students were involved in a community service project to create animal needs bookmarks and which they will then sell to other students to raise awareness and money for the pet rescue. 